Premier landscape painter and Disney legend Peter Ellenshaw (1913-2007) was drawing since he was a child growing up in London, England. Ellenshaw dropped out of school when he was 14, and lived in “Dickensian misery” until he was discovered in his early 20s by Walter Percy Day, O.B.E., the British film industry’s foremost special effects artist and matte painter. As Day’s protégé, Ellenshaw was able to work on films like Things to Come, The Thief of Baghdad, and Black Narcissus. Ellenshaw worked with Day until he became a pilot during World War II, and after his return, he caught the attention of Walt Disney, who was working on Disney Studios’ first live action film, Treasure Island. This initial collaboration sparked a friendship that would span 30 years and 34 films, including an Academy Award win for Mary Poppins.
In the 1950s, Ellenshaw fell in love with the ocean and would spend weekends painting the coves and waves on the California coast. Soon, he developed a reputation as a fine art painter, and his works became sought after around the globe.
Artist and filmmaker Harrison Ellenshaw was initially reluctant to follow in the famous footsteps of his father, Peter Ellenshaw. He even earned a degree in psychology from Whittier College and prepared himself for a career in corporate administration. Only when his father suggested that he take a temporary position in the matte department of Walt Disney Studios did Ellenshaw begin to consider an artistic career. Ellenshaw quickly established himself as a prominent matte artist like his father, and his talent was able to land him a job on the Star Wars set. After Star Wars, Ellenshaw collaborated with his father on the film The Black Hole, which earned the pair an Oscar nomination for visual effects. Ellenshaw’s extensive career has also included working with Industrial Light and Magic and Buena Vista Visual Effects.
While maintaining a successful career in films, Ellenshaw also dedicated himself to fine art and held one-man shows in many prominent galleries. In 2002, Ellenshaw collaborated with father to create a number of highly sought-after Disney giclees. Currently, Ellenshaw makes his own giclees as well as paintings of cityscapes and landscapes. |